Test: Adidas 'Do-All' Shades

By T.C. WORLEY

They cost $325. They come with a detachable nose cover and a siliconized “head strap” for conversion to a pseudo-goggle. Made for “high altitudes where harsh conditions prevail,” the Terrex Pro sunglasses from adidas’ optics division are new to the U.S. market this year. They are by far the most versatile shades I’ve ever seen.

This winter, while biking and cross-country skiing, I put the glasses to the test. A multifaceted design makes the Terrex Pro a kind of Swiss Army Knife of sunglasses. Beginning with a standard sport shade, you can clip in a second frame/lens to the inside of the glasses.

The additional frame has foam to contact the face and seal out cold. That foam, as well as vents in the frame, allow moisture to escape. In my test, it worked great — I never fogged the lenses once!

Included with the Terrex Pro kit is a second set of lenses and a replacement nose piece. And if your activity demands it, the glasses can be converted to a strap-on “pseudo-goggle” for the coldest days: The bows detach and a siliconized, goggle-like head strap clips on in their place, letting you wear the glasses with a helmet.

Without the extra clip-on lens frame, the TERREX Pro glasses fit remarkably well as just a normal pair of sports-oriented shades. People with narrow faces may find the frame a little wide, but not to a freakish level.

One hang-up with the glasses: On really cold days while biking, the nosepiece, though made of a soft silicone, would get too cold and give me an “ice cream head-ache” effect. This was when temps hit 15 degrees F or below. During activities without the wind-chill factor of cycling, this was a non-issue.

The Terrex Pro’s optional nose cover — a black plastic “beak” that clips on between the lenses to protect from wind, sun and chill — may have helped on the super cold days. That is if I could have brought myself to wear it. In public places, the “nose beak” will get you strange looks. High on a mountain, with whipping snow or glaring sun, I’d clip this nose piece on without hesitation.

For either four-season use or as a dedicated winter shade, the Terrex Pro glasses are a pretty great choice. They are unique and versatile. Worth the price tag? It is high, no doubt. But so is the versatility — these are more than just a single pair of glasses, and you’ll use them across a spectrum of activities.

If you’re a mountain man who likes being outside when it gets nasty, these all-in-one shades might be just what you’ve been waiting for, a nose beak and siliconized head strap included!

—T.C. Worley